Pride and tears for Croatians after World Cup final loss vs France

Jul 16, 2018 15:38 IST

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After watching their soccer team lose 4-2 to France in the World Cup final in Moscow on Sunday, some Croatians wept with sadness while others felt pride that their tiny nation had gone so far in the tournament. When the final whistle blew fans who had gathered in Ban Jelacic square in the capital Zagreb to watch the match on a big screen hugged each other in commiseration. One young woman used a red-and-white Croatian flag to wipe tears from her eyes as a female friend, also crying, put her arm around her. With the nation glued to screens to watch their team’s progress through the tournament, sales of television sets went up 400 percent compared to last year. Croatia’s cabinet held a session dressed in the soccer team’s red-and-white chequered shirts and the most ardent fans scrambled to find flights and tickets to attend the final, 20 years after their team finished third at the 1998 World Cup in France. (Video: SNTV).